Factors determining the number of seabirds impacted by oil spills and the success of their rehabilitation: lessons learned from Namibia and South Africa

Vanstreels RET, Parsons NJ, Sherley RB et al. 2023. Factors determining the number of seabirds impacted by oil spills and the success of their rehabilitation: Lessons learned from Namibia and South Africa. Marine Pollution Bulletin 188.

The coastal waters of Namibia and South Africa have an extensive history of oil spills, with 71 recorded up to 2021. Thirty-nine spills reportedly affected 83,224 seabirds, with African penguins (Spheniscus demersus; 91.0 %) and Cape gannets (Morus capensis; 8.5 %) most affected. Spills affecting seabirds were